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Monday, May 12, 2014

About Helen HendersonA former feature-story writer and correspondent, Henderson has also written
fiction as long as she could remember. Her heritage reflects the contrasts of
her Gemini sign. She is a descendent of a coal-miner's daughter and an aviation
flight engineer. This dichotomy shows in her writing which crosses genres from
historical adventures and westerns to science fiction and fantasy. In the world
of romantic fantasy, she is the author of two series: the Dragshi Chronicles
and the Windmaster novels. Helen calls herself a tour guide to the stars, the
Old West, and worlds of imagination and invites readers to journey with her.

How many books have you written?At present count between the fiction and non-fiction, my name is on eleven
full-length works. Two of them started as short stories, then morphed into a
series. My latest, Dragon Destiny, followed
that path. It grew into a novel published by a small press. The characters
refused to leave and one book turned into two, then three, and the Dragshi
Chronicles were born. In addition to the Dragshi Chronicles, future plans
include the release of my other fantasy series, the Windmaster novels. A
project that simmers, gets pushed to the back burner, then brought back, is a
collection of military-themed short stories written as a tribute to family
members who have served their country. And for a change of pace, I’m writing
the non-fiction history of a local organization.

Give a short synopsis of your most
recently published book.The awakening of his dragon soul twin, Llewlyn, brought Dragshi Lord Branin
near-eternal life, but not happiness. As a dragshi, he can take on dragon form
and know the freedom of flight, however, both are the last of their kind and
have waited millennia for their mates. The firebrand raider, Lady Broch is more
than willing to fulfill that position — with or without Branin's willing
cooperation.

When a faint thought impinged on Branin's mind, hope for an ending to eons of
loneliness soared. Plagued by doubts because no signs of a dragon shifter's
birth have been seen, Branin searches the world for the mysterious girl he only
knows by the name, Anastasia.

How much of yourself is hidden in the
characters in the book?Anastasia and I share a similar sense of duty and both of us honor our
responsibilities to kith and kin. But there is another connection. There is a
real Anastasia and is a member of my extended family. Which is what caused one
of the problems in writing the book. When we first met Anastasia the character,
she was a young girl who had lost her mother. In the novel, she had to be old
enough to be a suitable love interest and therein lay the challenge. Dragon Destiny is a romance, not a young
adult coming of age tale. In the book she had to age from a young woman to a
vibrant adult. But in my head I pictured the real Anastasia who was only a
handspan of years. The transition finalized in my mind when I received the
cover for Dragon Destiny. Anastasia’s
great-grandmother looked at the pose and attitude captured in the portrait by
Fantasia Frog Designs and stated, “That’s Anastasia.”

How has your
environment affected your writing?Like many authors, family responsibilities push writing and promotion into
the background. I’m fortunate when the real world overwhelms, that there is
always the fantasy world to escape into. I enjoy cavorting with magical equines
and travelling to worlds of imagination. But honor and duty always call and I return
to the real world

The real world slips into my writing in various ways. The idea of a twinned
soul grew out of watching a hawk play tag with the clouds and a long-held
desire to fly. And I am a firm believer that the imagined world needs to be
real to the readers so they can feel as if they are moving through it with the
characters.

My first novel, Windmaster, was written in a variety of places including
hospital rooms and doctor’s offices. However I admit, the best place to write
is the mountains listening to celtic music while sitting on a porch of a
log-cabin or on a sun-dappled lakeside dock. There is one caveat to how my
environment affects my writing. My characters have learned to hide during the
dark days of winter as the barriers to love and happiness grow with the snow
drifts. More than one character has been captured and ended up in a dungeon in
the winter only to escape with the spring thaw.

What do you think is
the greatest lesson you’ve learned about writing so far? What advice can you
give new writers?Learn to bend with the breeze. Each author’s path, each book is unique and what
works for one person is a disaster for another. Whether a logical plotter or a
write-without-a-map pantser, writing processes need to be able to shift as
characters hijack storylines, and as writers we gain experience. The second
piece of advice is “not to be afraid to type ‘the end.’” I’ve worked with too
many writers who never finish the work. They just keep going back and rewriting
and rewriting. If they do stop, they never take the plunge and submit it for
publication. Lastly, too many authors type “the end” then expect royalties to
just roll in. Whether ebook or print, traditional or indie-published, the book
is yours and you are ultimately the one who needs to market and promote it.
After all, it is your passion that created it and which will show through to
the readers.

Where do you store ideas for later use:
in your head, in a notebook, or on a spreadsheet?For many years I worked in computer design, coding and testing software,
then as a system designer. Organization is engrained in my thought and work
process. The logical approach needed to instruct a computer (they weren’t
self-programming, yet) creeps into my fiction writing and I admit to being what
is now called an explorer. Once I start a project I have forms to help record
the scenes and dialog. In the beginning the forms provide structure (and allow
me to work when there is no computer around), then later when the characters
and plot unveil, I shift from paper to computer and compose on the keyboard so
by the time the plotting is finished, there is a complete fairly polished work.

With caregiver responsibilities and a daily life that includes running a
business in addition to my writing, keeping things in my head no longer works,
so I always have paper and pencil close at hand for when storylines, character
names, or setting locales pop into my head. If the material fits into a current
project, I make time to convert the information into electronic form and drop
it into the research section of the series bible. Future storylines are fleshed
out as far as they can go, then put in a special folder on my laptop labeled, Future Novels.
Where can folks learn more about your books and events?Events, both in the virtual world and the real one can be found on my
website: http://helenhenderson-author.webs.com
and my blog: helenhenderson-author.blogspot.com.
Dragon Destiny is
available in ebook format at Amazon,
Smashwords, and Barnes
and Noble and coming soon to paperback. Additional sale locations for Dragon Destiny and my other works can also
be found on my author’s website.

Thanks for the opportunity to blog on this awesome blogspot and I hope to hear
from lots of readers!

Inviting all readers to ask questions in the comments section. We'd love to hear from you!

About Me

I wrote the Logan Hunter Mystery series: Genesis Beach, Just North of Luck, Hell Swamp, Sin Creek and Sticking Point. Slightly Cracked is my first women's fiction and I also authored unique cookbook, Killer Recipes. I'm currently working on an historical fiction, titled Sprig of Broom. My Web site is www.susanwhitfieldonline.com
KILLER RECIPES, features recipes from mystery writers across the country. Profits for this book are donated to cancer research.
Sites I follow:
www.coldcoffeepress.com
www.coldcoffeecafe.com
www.booktown.ning.com
http://www.pmterrell.blogspot.com
http://murderby4.blogspot.com
http://www.mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com
www.bloodredpencil.blogspot.com
www.womenofmystery.net
www.sistersincrime.org
http://suspensebyanne.blogspot.com
http://murdersousmusings.blogspot.com